Shadowed Vanity
by Shadow Foxhound
Summary: [Sasuke Sakura Gaara] When Sakura and Gaara attempt to find a deep lust in each other, their relationship turns out to be coyly interesting. Sasuke begins to acknowledge her, Sakura finds herself obsessively in love with the two ninjas.


Vanity is the excessive belief in one's own abilities or attractiveness to others. In some religious teachings vanity is considered a form of self-idolatry, in which one rejects God for sake of one's own image, and thereby becomes divorced from the graces of God. The stories of Lucifer and Narcissus, and others, attend to a pernicious aspect of vanity.

Sakura ran her hands through her pink locks tendrils of hair, laying her back against the lush beach sand. The water from her latest swim trickled through her hair and she felt it evaporate with ease off her chest.

The sun glinted off her eyelids as she closed them, her mouth fell slightly ajar, peacebly inhaling the ocean's aromatic scents. The relief of being a ninja came once a lifetime, and she, along with her teammates and other teams knew as well.

It was a small treat, to deprive momentarily the ninjas of A-Rank missions and to enjoy the natures of thie environment. Eyes still rolled against her lids, she twitched as a shadow crossed out the faint light.

"Naruto, don't…" She growled, simultaneously opening her eyes to face another expression than what she expected. Gaara was standing above her, yet his attention not directed to her.

He was facing the other direction, towards the ocean. He was only a few paces away, but he didn't even acknowledge her existence. She silently sat up, and gazed at the horizon along with him from her perch.

It was sunset, the illumination glinting off shades of faint orange and a blend of yellow. The ocean's currents stilled, idling out in slow and sluggish movements. The sky was cloudless, stars protruding from the hazy light.

Sakura deeply observed Gaara, his dark vermillon hair, his emerald eyes away from her limited her restrictions. He was for the first time without his gourd, ever since he was taught to conjure sand without it.

He had a solemn expression on, the wind breezing through his hair and his features, he held his head down and closed his eyes, inhaling the unfamiliar scents.

Sakura's vision withdrew to dawn on the other inhabitants of the beach. Sasuke, and Naruto were molding chakra above the water's surface, triumphants smirks. Lee, Neji and Tenten were at ease, floating above the water.

Hinata and Kiba were talking softly in the shallows, constantly a crimson blush that darkened against their cheeks. Shino was silently idling at the shore, his last swim quite recent.

Shikamaru held Ino in his arms, in the deeper portions of the ocean water. Ino pressed her lips against him, and they were suspended in the kiss, gradually deepening it. Chouji repressed the urge to whoop in his act of thundering down to the water, from his height of thirty feet above the surface.

Temari and Kankuro were polishing ther equipment. She grinned as Naruto fell from his perch above the water, but her peripheral vision caught Gaara kneel down and sit comfortably at the shore.

Sakura focused her attentive persistence to Gaara, who was still hesitant in his tranquility. Sakura didn't want to seem annoying, yet she found herself stand up and swagger over to him.

He didn't react as she silently knelt down beside him, a tender smile at her lips, she positioned herself to face the ocean as well. She pulled her knees close and wrapped her arms around her knees.

Not then did she realize her dear self, Sakura was stripped down to a two piece bikini, and Gaara was deprived of his shirt, only clothed by a shade of dark gray shorts.

"The sunset," Gaara spoke, not giving her a glance of approval or a shake in disagreement. His attemtion was still struck to the sunset, which was met by two pairs of emerald eyes.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Sakura replied softly. She didn't gaze at him, only watched the horizon.

"Yeah," He whispered. For a moment, they watched the sun begin its process of dipping beneath the horizon. "The sunset here is very different from the ones back in Konoha, where you can only see the outlines of its buildings. Here, it's…" She hesitated.

"Different," Gaara completed for her, a breeze flew past them. Gaara finally took up the courage and curiosity for a dare to himself. Sakura wanted to see his expression right now.

Simultaneously, they glanced at each other, their eyes visually colliding and their heads slightly turning.

Gaara felt slightly amused as Sakura's surprise was met by his. He was positive his expression didn't atler either. Without control, a warm emotion caressed him, and a soft smile finally broke out.

Sakura mentally gaped in astonishment. She watched his smile, the soothing outlines of an expression she wasn't used to be seeing from him. His eyes were lit with a flame that she thought was extinguished, and automatically, she felt herself smile back.

She had no idea she was grinning. It seemed merely an instinct to her, she realized when it was too late. Gaara throttled back his emotion, fiercly pushing it back in his mind, but he couldn't. He loved her smile.

He ravenously forced himself to glance away, manuvering his lips together into a stern line. He closed his eyes, the solemn expression he's been trying to exert his whole life, broken.

His hands were against the sand, used to support himself from leaning back. She felt a soft hand come over his.

"I like it when you smile." Sakura whispered. Gaara abruptly split open his eyes, in shock, he swiveled his eyes to her.

"When I…"

"Smile," Her voice cooed. Gaara hesitated, gazing at her. Upon and instinctively, the soothing outlines of his grin came again, and Sakura stared at him longlingly, a desire wrought across her eyes. "Gaara," She whispered.

"Sakura," He responded softly. She leaned slightly in, and Gaara felt himself lurch forward partially. They slightly closed their eyes against their envirotnment, when Sasuke gave a sharp scream, and he landed ungracefully at the ocean shallows a couple steps away from them.

Sasuke directed his attention back to Naruto, who was sprinting towards him across the water, a furious intention in his eyes. Sasuke smirked, and with his chakra, he conjured water from beneath Naruto, and the nine-tails kid was sent spewing across the water.

Sasuke chortled sofltly, and he released his chakra as he reached the shore, and shook the dampness out of his hair. He finally gazed at the Gaara and Sakura.

"Guys, we're leaving back to the site soon," He informed. He furrowed a brow in confusion. "What are you guys doing?" He inquired.

"Nothing." Sakura depressingly sighed. Three years have passed, and Sasuke was still self-demanding. She thought being fiteen would be enjoyable. Gaara was a teenager as well, yet he was a couple months older than her.

Sasuke and Naruto were also fifteen.

"Hey, Sakura!" Naruto chirped, brushing the water out of his hair with his hands. "Gaara," He acknowledged, he swaggered off, towards the camp, which was deeper into the forest.

"Naruto, it would be best if we leave in a group." Sakura suggested. He ignored her, inhaling the aromatic scents of the far-away dinner. Sasuke shook his head in disapproval and held a hand out for Sakura.

She awkwardly took it, and stood up.

"Are you coming, Gaara?" She queried. He stood up with a dark expression, directed towards Sasuke.

"Let's go,"

XXXXXXXXXX

Sakura, Gaara and Sasuke hesitated in the entrance of the enormous living room, taking in the aromas of freshly cooked ramen. From the hallway where the rooms were located, Sakura could hear Naruto's rants. She sighed.

"Well, I have to change. See you guys at the table?" She inquired. Sasuke shrugged, after a moment of consideration. His face slightly brightned as she received a grin from him.

"Sakura, I have to talk to you after dinner, alright?" He lightly stalked over to the kitchen, leaving the two behind. Gaara and Sakura stood in silence, contemplating heavily in each other's presence.

"So…see you at the table." Her bright smile triggered him to experience the unfamiliar and what seemed to be nonexistent emotion to flow throughout him.

"No, I have to change also." He insisted.

They both waltzed up the stairs, trying not to make eye contact. Sakura jerked her hand in an attempt to hold his, but a bashful blush flooded her cheeks, and she turend her head away from him.

Gaara gazed at her, and he glanced down to her hand. He swiftly oustretched his arm, and with the charming smile stricken across him, he snatched her hand in his, and she silently glanced at him, and effortlessly, she curled her fingers around his hand.

Flirtatious, she grinned in an elated notion and she pulled herself to him, arms pressing, she leaned her head against his shoulder. Gaara and her walked silently, wide-eyed in shock, he stopped by her door as they continued down the hallway, a crimson expression flushing against her.

"Gaara," She coyly leaned forward to give him a peck of a kiss on his cheek. He swiftly gazed away. "See you at the table." She repeated, in a playful manner this time. Grinning brightly, she closed the door behind her.

It wasn't like she forgot she had roommates, especially with two guys. Even through Sasuke was at the table, Naruto wasn't. A smirk caressed his lips.

"So it's Sakura and Gaara now, is it?" He playfully bantered.


End file.
